Non-refillable cigar-package.



No. 776.649. PATENTED DEG. 6, 1904. G. DUMONT c J. sE-NT'EG'NAN. NoN-REFILLABLE GIGAR PACKAGE.

APPLIOATIOH FILD JULY 29. 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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No. 776.649. PATBNTBD DEG. 6, 1904.

G. DUMONT al J. SENTEGNAN. NoN-REFILLABLB GIGARPAGKAGB.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 29. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N() MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

NON-REFILLABLE C|GARPACKAGE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,649, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed July 29,1903 Serial No. 167,402. (No model.)

To all whom, if may concer-lt:

Beit known that we, GUs'rAvn DUMONT and JULES SENTEGNAN, citizens of the United States, residing' at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Non Refillable Cigar-Package, of which the following is a specilication.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a packag'e or container for a number of cigars which will prevent insertion of cigars into the package, thereby l"preventing refilling of the package.

It is a common practice in the cigar trade for dealers and others to refill empty cigarboxes bearing the brands of good cigars with inferior cigars, thereby leading the public to buy an inferior article in place of the one actually desired. rIhis practice defrauds the purchaser, the manufacturer of the cigars whose brand is on the box, andthe Government, which is entitled to revenue on the cigars surreptitiously sold in this manner. By preventing refilling of the package we insure the purchaser, the manufacturer, and the (jl-Overnment against this unlawful and undesirable practice. Thenon-relillabilityof the package is also advantageous tothe box manufacturer, as it insures that the bex will not be used again, and inasmuch as the manufacturer was justified by Government regulation in assuming that there will be no reuse of the box it fol lows that such reuse is injustice to him as well to the other parties mentioned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box or package which may be packed or iilled quickly and cheaply by unskilled persons, thus dispensing with the services of the regular packer of cigars, whose labor is comparatively skilled, and therefore expensive.

Another object of the invention is to do away with the usual inside trimming' of the box-that is, papering, labeling, 85e. As cigar-boxes are usually constructed this inside trimming is considered essential to give a goed appearace and can hardly be dispensed with; but in our invention there is no requirement for such trimming, the box being substantially permanently closed.

A further object of the invention is to con struct the package in such manner that the cigars may be withdrawn either singly or in definite bunches or sets, thereby facilitating the countingl of the cigars when a large number are sold.

rlhe accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure I is a perspective view of the cigar package, box, or easing'em bodying our invention, the box being assumed to be iilled and in closed condition. Eig. II is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. Ill is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of the box in process of filling', showing' the use of a follower-plate for pressing the cigars into place. Fig. lV is a longitudinal section of the box, partly in elevation, some of the cigars having' been withdrawn and others being in process of withdrawal. Fig. V is a plan of one of the bunches, strips, or sets of cigars with which the package or box is filled; Fig. VI is a cross-section on the line VIVI in Fig. 1V. Fig. VH is a detail sectional view of a part of one of the bunches of cigars, showing' the construction of the iexible casing for such bunch. Fig. VIII is a detail perspective view of the clamp or fastening' for securing the top of the package or box in such manner as to prevent removal of such top without destroying the same. Fig. 1X is a perspective view of a closure for a box or package, showing such closure removed from the package and hung upto display advertising matter thereon.

The package comprises a box or case l, of about the usual or suitable dimensions of a cigar-box, and a cover 2, fastened on said box to substantially permanently close the same, the box being provided at one end with an opening 3, through which the cigars may be withdrawn. A closure device 4 is desirably provided for said opening', said closure device consisting of a liange on a strip or plate, which strip or plate may be of cardboard and is adapted to extend within the box beneath the cover thereof, so as to maintain the flange or closure t in position to close the opening 3. Means are desirably provided for facilitating the withdrawal of this closure device, the same consisting, for example, of a ring 6, connected by iiexible means 7 to said closure IOO device, and this ring may also serve for hanging' up Vthe plate 5 when withdrawn from the box, as hereinafter set forth.

The cigars are preferably removable in bunches. There will be suflicient cigars in each bunch to form one layer the length of the box and the cig'ars in each bunch being held together in regular order by a iiexible casing, band, or strip 8, which is formed with pockets or receptacles 9, adapted to receive the respective cigars. One end of each strip 8 is extended sufficiently to form a flap 10, so that when the strip with its contained cigars is laid longitudinally in the box such Hap will extend through the opening' 3 outside of the box in accessible position. A retainer 11 may be provided for holding these flaps close against the box, such retainer consisting, for example, of an elastic band, as shown.

rlhe cover is provided on its underside with a catch, detent, or guard 12, consisting', for example, of a strip of wood sufficiently thin to be resilient or elastic and attached at one end to the under side of the box-top and extending with its free end in proximity to the opening' 3 in such manner that a cigar cannot be pushed in through said opening' without meeting this guard and being stopped thereby. Said upper end of strip 12 bears against the plate or closure extension 4 and holds it down against the top layer of cigars, so as to keep all the superposed layers snugly together, thereby preventing injury to the cigars by being jarred during shipment.

In packing' the box, which will then of course be open or uncovered at the top, the sets or bunches of cigars are laid in one at a time in superposed order until the box is full, this operation being quickly performed by cheap labor owing to the fact that the cigars are handled in bunches instead of individually and may therefore be inserted both more quickly and without the care that is usually required to prevent damage and to insure correct and close packing. rlhe follower-plate 13 (see Fig. III) is then placed on top of the assembled layers of cigars and is pressed down in any convenient manner until the bunches of cigars have been sufliciently compressed and packed together. Said follower-plate is then removed,

and the strip or plate is then placed on top of the cigars, its fiang'e 4 closing the opening' 3, the cover 2 being then put in place with its spring-guard on top of the strip 5, and said top is then nailedin the usualmanner to the box or case 1. In order, however, to insure that no one can remove the strip or cover 2 without mutilating or destroying same in such manner as to prevent reuse of the box, we prefer to provide additional special fastening means` engaging with the box 1 and cover 2 and constructed and located so that they cannot be withdrawn without mutilating the parts aforesaid, nor will they permit separation of such parts without mutilation. For this purpose clamps or fasteners such as shown in Fig. VIII may be provided, the same consisting of sheet-metal pieces or nails 14, sharpened at one one end and bent to form two ang'le parts or bends 15 16, which when said nails are driven endwise into the meeting' corners or edges of the box and its top and bottom, as shown in Fig. I, engage, respectively, with the case and cover to prevent separation thereof. Then said fasteners are fully driven in, so as to lie flush with the end of the box, they cannot be withdrawn without mutilation of the box, these fasteners thus insuring that such attempt cannot be successful without mutilation of the cover, of the box proper, or both. The box or case being' thus permanently closed, the revenue-stamp is applied in suitable manner and the box is ready for sale.

l/V hen cigars are to be withdrawn from the box, the revenue-stamp having been first mutilated, as usual, the closure 4 is pulled out, exposing the opening' 3 and allowing' the guard 12 to spring down opposite said opening. The removal of this strip also provides a free space or clearance at top of the cigars, allowing' the latter to be pulled out more easily. Then by pulling' on the topmost flap l() the upper layer of cigars may be pulled out sufliciently to remove from the box as many of the cigars as may be desired at the time, and said cigars may be slipped from the casing' or the latter torn off, or in case a whole bunch is desired it may be withdrawn from the box as a whole. In any case the arrangement of the cig'ars in bunches and in linear connected order facilitates counting thereof. At all times, both when the box is partly empty and when it is wholly empty, the guard 12 so obstructs the opening 3 that cigars cannot be pushed into the box. In thus pulling out the cigars the casing' 8 slips under the spring-guard 12, the latter yielding to permit its passage.

The connecting-strip or flexible casing 8 may, as shown in Fig. VII, consist of one or more strips of paper or other suitable material folded or bent to form the holders 9, the strip being', for example, double with the two parts fastened together at intervals by clips or fasteners 18 or by sewing' or gluing, leaving' the intervening parts separated to form the holders. In making' up the bunches of cigars the cig'ars are slipped into the holders and fit therein suliciently close to hold them in place during manipulation of the bunch.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that each flexible connection 8 when filled with cigars presents a corrugated surface adapted to cooperate with the free end of the resilient strip 12 to positively prevent any backward movement of said connection.

The flexible casing or connecting-strip 8 may be provided with designations of the character, brand, or make ofthe cigar or other advertising' matter. Similar or other advertis- IOO ICS

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ing matter may also be placed on the cardboard strip or plate 5-for example, in the form ci' an ornamented lithog'raphic sign--so that when the said cardboard is withdrawn lfrom the box and hung up, as shown in Fig.

1X, such advertising matter may be conspicuously shown. The exterior otl the box will also be desirably marked with the brand oi' the cig'ars, and, if desired, with an indication et' the character of the box, all these advertising or desig'nating' devices being intended to replace and dispense with the usual trimming and ornamentation of the inside oi' the box.

What We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent oli the United States, is-

l. A case having an opening for Withdrawal oi' cig'ars, a removable g'uard at said opening', adapted and arranged to prevent insertion ot' cigars thereat, and a removable closure for said opening, said closure provided with an extension extendingbeneath and held down by said guard.

2. A casehavingapermanently-closed cover and an opening' in one end beneath said cover, a resilient guard-strip fastened at one end to the bottom of the cover with its other end extending in proximity to said opening' to prevent insertion of cigars, and a cigar-package connection consisting' of a flexible strip having a series of holders adapted to engage the guard-strip to prevent insertion of cigars past said strip.

3. A case having a permanently-closed cover and an opening' in one end beneath said cover, an elastic guard-strip fastened at one end on the bottom oi the cover with its other end extending in proximity to said opening', to prevent insertion ol cigars, and a closure device consisting of a plate adapted to extend in the case beneath said guard, and having a llange adapted to close the opening' aforesaid.

4. A case having an opening for the Withdrawal ofcigars, guard means for said opening, a cover for the case, said guard means being attached to said cover, and binding means having parts engaging the case and the cover to prevent removal of the cover.

5. A case having a permanent cover, an opening at one end oi' the ease, for the withdrawal oi' cigars, a spring-guard on thc cover, a closure device having a part extending' under the spring-guard, and a iiange closing said opening, and a plurality of bunches of cigars within the case, each bunch comprising a flexible easing having' holders containing the cigars, and a liap extending' through the opening.

6. A case having' a permanent cover, an opening' at one end oi the case, for the Withdrawal oi cigars, a spring-guard on the cover, a closure device having a part extending under the spring-guard, and a ila-nge closing said opening', a plurality of cigar-holding devices Within the case, each device comprising a iiexible casing having' holders for containing the cigars, and a flap extending through the opening, and a retainer at the end of the casing cngag'ing said ilaps.

7. A case having' an opening for the Withdrawal of cigars, a resilient strip fastened to the case at one end, having its il'ree end adjacent said opening to prevent insertion of cigars thereat, and a closure device consisting oi a plate adapted to extend into the case beneath said strip and in engagement with the free end thereof, said plate having' a flange adapted to close the aforesaid opening.

8. A case having' an opening for the Withdrawal of cigars, a plurality of superposed cigar-holding devices within the case, each device comprising' a Vflexible connection having' a series of holders for containing cigars, a iiap extending through the opening', and an elastic band adjacent the lower side of said opening extending across said flaps.

9. A case having' an opening for the withdrawal of cigars, a cigar-package connection consisting of a llexible strip having a series of holders, a cover for said case, and a resilient strip having one end attached to the inner side of said cover, the free end of said strip projecting toward and in proximity to said opening to prevent insertion of cigars thereat by engagement with the holders on said strip.

10. A case having an opening 'for the Withdrawal ot' cigars, a l'lexible cigar-package connection having' a series ot' holders, said connection presenting a corrugated surface When cigars have been inserted into said holders, and a resilient strip having one end fastened to the case and a free end projecting' toward said opening in position to engage the corrugated surface oi' thc connection.

In testimony Whereoi' we have signed our names to this specilieation, in the presence oi two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Caliiornia, this 15th day oi July, 1903.

GUSTAVE DUMONT. JULES SENTEG-NAN.

W itnesscs:

ARTHUR 1. KNIGHT, F. M. TowNsmND.

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